Herbert Bolm, like Bolm Rd in East Austin, down near the river. His family had owned a diary farm down in those bottom lands.

I have a story about meeting Uncle Herbert Bolm, for the first time, at least in my memory. He was married to my grandfather Theron’s sister Ruby. See there was some family strife that happened back in the 1950s that caused there to be “2 sides” of the family for several years. But it all got resolved and we have been one big happy family ever since.

Now for that meeting:
Uncle Herbert had spent most of his life as a Downtown Austin Banker, Austin National Bank on Congress Ave. When he retired he went to work for friends of his that owned Von Beckmann Jones Office Supply along about Congress Avenue and 2nd Street.

This was about 1979 and I was remodeling my office that was located on Montopolis Dr, just north of Ben White Blvd.

I wanted new furniture to go in my office, so I went downtown to have a look and see what might work.

An elderly gentleman was waiting on me. I told him all about my company, and that I was originally from Smithwick. He said, “I bet you’re Cecil’s son”. I said “by golly I am”.
Well we sorted everything out and he explained who he was. I ended buying an office full of furniture.

My grandmother Leona, we called Nonie, was staying with us at the time.We had a new baby in the house. She was always there to lend a hand when we had a baby, and that was pretty often for several years. I made plans with our long lost relatives to take her over to their place that evening for a visit. We lived in far South Austin, being William Cannon back then and they lived just south of Ben White Blvd. off of Packsaddle Pass.

It was the first time those sisters in law had visited in a couple of decades. They once had been very close, but that family split had caused them to not come together for a long time.

Madeline and the kids went along with us too. It was a wonderful visit and those two ladies were glad that the past was behind them. They took up right where they’d left off. We continued to go there to visit whenever Nonie was down for a visit with us.

It made me very glad that I went looking for office furniture in downtown Austin that day.